Happy Birthday Joburg!

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The celebrations kick off at the much anticipated Newtown Diwali Festival on Saturday, 7th of October 2006.

Hosted by the City of Johannesburg, the Newtown Diwali Festival 2006 will be the official launch pad for the City’s birthday celebrations.

Elsabe Booysens , Marketing Manager for the City of Johannesburg said that the decision to launch the City’s 120th birthday at the Newtown Diwali Festival was an exciting initiative.

‘The message of Diwali which is peace, harmony and goodwill is a common thread within Johannesburg’s diverse communities. It stands to reason that the Diwali Festival is the ideal vehicle to bring every person in Johannesburg together in celebration of multicultural values and the City’s 120th birthday. An added bonus is that the Newtown Diwali Festival is being held in the Newtown Cultural Precinct which ties in aptly with the City’s Urban Renewal Project.’

Other ventures planned in celebration of the City’s milestone include a wide reaching educational programme aimed at improving service delivery.

There really is something for everybody at this year’s Newtown Diwali Festival. The entertainment line up includes an entire day of fabulous and diverse entertainment from some of South Africa’s top stage performers including Indian classical maestro Patrick Ngcobo, celebrated jazz artist Kunlé, dances from the Gauteng Indian Dance Academy, The Bollywood Street Party with Lotus FM DJ’s and a mind-blowing fireworks display.

Apart from the entertainment, there’s also a lot to do! This year’s Festival boasts an even bigger and better selection of food stalls which promise to tantalize even the most unadventurous of taste buds. Shop-a-holics, too, will be spoilt for choice in the retail therapy department with everything on offer from affordable Indian wear and home décor to beauty products.

The Esoteric Fair, which is part of the Newtown Diwali Festival, takes place just across the road at Museum Africa and will encompass diviners, astrologers, numerologists and pranic healing practitioners.

Children haven’t been forgotten by the organisers of the Newtown Diwali Festival. Children’s Art Workshops, with an Indian theme, will also be run at Museum Africa, where youngsters will learn beadwork, poly art and the skill of painting clay lamps. Attendance at the Children’s Art Workshops is free.

The Newtown Diwali Festival 2006 takes place in the Newtown Cultural Precinct on Saturday, 7th of October from 10am to late.

Entrance is free.

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